Fibrous elements comprising one or more fibrous element-forming materials, such as carboxymethyl cellulose, starch, and polyvinyl alcohol, and a high (at least 500,000 g/mol) weight average molecular weight polymer, such as polyacrylamide, are known in the art.
One such fibrous element comprises carboxymethyl cellulose as the fibrous element-forming material and a polyacrylamide that exhibits a weight average molecular weight of at least 500,000 g/mol as measured according to the Weight Average Molecular Weight Test Method described herein exhibits cleaning negatives as measured according to the Cleaning Test Method described herein. It was found that the polyacrylamide was the culprit for the cleaning negatives.
As a result, formulators produced a fibrous element comprising two fibrous element-forming materials; namely, Celvol 420H polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH 420H) (MW 85,000-125,000 g/mol, 78-82% hydrolyzed, available from Kuraray America, Inc.) and Celvol 505 polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH 505) (MW 40,000-50,000 g/mol, 72-75% hydrolyzed, available from Kuraray America, Inc.). It was found that this formulation, in particular, the Celvol 420H polyvinyl alcohol, also exhibited cleaning negatives as measured according to the Cleaning Test Method described herein.
In light of the foregoing, the problem to be addressed by formulators is how to formulate a fibrous element, especially a fibrous element, such as a filament, that comprises one or more fibrous element-forming materials, that mitigates or eliminates the cleaning negatives seen in prior fibrous element formulations.
Accordingly, there is a need for a fibrous element comprising one or more fibrous element-forming materials wherein the fibrous element exhibits improved cleaning compared to known fibrous elements as measured according to the Cleaning Test Method described herein, and methods for making such fibrous elements and compositions used therein.